Historian Seth Bramson will share some of his knowledge at a talk about the history of Miami Shores at 7 p.m., March 18 at the Miami Shores Community Center.

Despite the fact that he is so immersed in Floridian history, Bramson is actually from New York. He moved to Miami in 1946 at the age of 2.

“I had the feeling for it. I loved it then. I loved railroads, loved trains, loved the idea of history in Miami,” he said. “In May of 1958, I walked into the Florida East Coast Railway Ticket Office in the Abraham Building in Miami for the first time and asked for timetables.”

That timetable became the beginning of what would become the largest private collection of Miami memorabilia. Bramson also serves as the president of the Miami Memorabilia Collectors Club, which he also founded.

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“Come this May, I will have been collecting Miami memorabilia and Floridiana for 58 years,” he said.

Now, almost 70 years since he first moved to the city, Bramson has published 23 books and more than 200 papers on South Florida history and teaches courses about South Florida history at Barry University, Nova Southeastern University and Florida International University.

To Bramson, history is a critical part of South Florida. But even more important than the history itself is giving everyone access to learn about their hometown’s history and what historic buildings actually represent.

“We’ve got this wonderful opportunity to share with the community the information on what an historic place Miami Shores is,” he said. “You’ve got to have an understanding of history in order to appreciate it and once you appreciate it, you can begin to understand the need to preserve.”

During his talk, he will discuss the history of Miami Shores, including the ways that the Village has been preserved. The event is sponsored by The Bourne Team, Robert Bourne and Chip Shepard.

If You Go

▪ What: History of Miami Shores talk

▪ When: 7 p.m., March 18

▪ Where: Miami Shores Community Center, 9617 Park Dr.

▪ Cost: Event is free and open to the public. Child care will be provided free of cost.

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